


You're pretty cool.

by bolognabits



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Chubby!Rey, College AU, Each chapter will have a warning at the beginning based on its content if I feel it's necessary, F/M, Some unrequited Phaslo, Weight Gain (no kink), poor body image
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2018-11-22 10:22:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11378232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bolognabits/pseuds/bolognabits
Summary: So, I got a request on Tumblr a while back asking me to do an AU based off of Chubby!Rey and Kylo in college. I never intended it to be anything more than a ficlet, but then it garnered enough interest that I feel I may as well update it. I know I'm notorious for the WG kink stuff, but I promise there is no kink here. There is an update in the works and it will be posted soon.Original posting:https://chubbyreylo.tumblr.com/post/161319867590/innocent-reylo-in-college-with-some-chubby-rey





	1. Do you?

Kylo again, banging at her dorm room door looking for her roommate. The tall, sporty blonde that didn’t like her very much. The feeling was mutual, but Rey tried to make the best of rooming with her. It was the kind of compromise she had to make for one of the more spacious student dwellings.

Really, the two young women navigated around one another with relative ease, seeing as Phasma was gone half of the time, and ignored her when she was there. It was her friends constantly knocking at their door that frustrated her the most. Particularly Kylo. Hux, Mitaka, they could take a hint. Kylo? Not so much.

“I said she’s not here.” Rey sighed in exasperation, ready to close the door in his face, but a large hand reached out and pushed it open instead, causing her to stumble back a little to, unwillingly, allow him entry.

“I guess I’ll wait then.” Came his airy reply as he eased passed Rey and plopped down on top of her roommate’s bed. His long, broad form taking up the entirety of the small mattress, much like Phasma did.

Rey knew there was no use in arguing with him. She didn’t know much about him, but one thing was for damn sure; Kylo Ren was as stubborn as a mule. Probably as dumb as one too.

As long as he shut up at permitted her to continue studying, then who the hell cared? He already looked half asleep anyways with his hands folded behind his head and his breathing shallow.

With another sigh, Rey closed the door and made her way back over to her bed, where papers were scattered and her laptop was open and ready for use. She climbed in with a soft creak of the frame. Her cheeks felt warm. She spared a brief glance in Kylo’s direction, but he didn’t seem to notice. If he had, he wasn’t going to make it known.

He was probably too busy daydreaming about whatever it was dumb boys his age dreamt about, anyways. Summer break, six packs of beer and giggly 10s in their bikinis.

Rey wouldn’t be participating in those sorts of activities this summer, just as she had skipped out on all of the fun the year before as well. College was really taking its toll on her, not only emotionally but physically.

As a freshman, she could’ve easily competed with the likes of Phasma’s trim figure. With all of the late night study sessions, cheap junk food and lack of time for any real physical actively beyond hustling across campus to catch one of her classes, naturally it would start to catch up on her. It did.

This summer, Rey swore up and down that mid-year break would be dedicated to getting back into shape. Or at the very least into a shape that vaguely resembled what she used to be.

“So…” Kylo spoke up a few moments after Rey had begun to type away at her laptop, getting back into the groove of her assignment. She looked up, noticing that at some point the male had rolled onto his side to face her direction. “You’re majoring in engineering, right?”

He was staring at her, hard, and she could’ve sworn that she saw his eyes wander, and it immediately made her feel uneasy. Rey picked up one of her pillows and squeezed it tightly to her stomach and chest in an attempt to hide the parts of herself that she was the most insecure. Small tits and a round tummy that only emphasized just how underwhelming the former were.

“Yeah? And I’m trying to study, so if you don’t mind…“

“Just trying to make conversation.” Kylo rolled his eyes and maneuvered onto his back once more, but his attention remained on her.

Rey did her best to ignore it, but there was this strange nagging desire to respond to him. She didn’t know why. Perhaps she wanted an excuse to take a much needed a break from studying, or that she had always been curious about the guy(though you’d never get her to admit it out loud).

She always just assumed that he was like his counterparts, the well-off kids that thought that they were better than everyone else because they had a little bit of money and class to their name. It didn’t help that he had a reputation. Getting kicked off of every other sports team due to instigating fist fights? Not a good look.

And yet…

“Phasma’s probably going to be out for awhile, so there’s really no point in waiting around.”

“I know.”

She looked up again, furrowing her brow. “Okay? So you’re just going to lay there then?”

Kylo retrieved his hands from behind his head and briefly sifted his fingers through his hair before propping himself up onto his elbows. “No, hence the trying to have a conversation thing I said a second ago.”

“Why the sudden change?” Rey squeezed her pillow tighter when she noticed that his eyes were crawling once again. Her questioned appeared to have confused him, which had effectively hindered him from burning a hole right through her.

“What do you mean?” He asked, taken aback.

She let out a soft, mirthless snort and turned her attention back to her laptop, tucking a piece of hair that had fallen loose from one of her three buns behind her ear. “Meaning, you’ve never tried that before.”

Kylo sat up straight, throwing his legs over the edge of the bed, elbows now propped against his knees. He was staring at her again, but this time as if she’d sustained a head injury over the last couple of months. “You’re kidding right? I’m always trying to talk to you. Is your head really that far up your ass?” (It almost sounded like a genuine question.)

This gave Rey pause. Her rounded cheeks puffed out slightly, her fingers curling against the keys of her laptop. Surely he was mistaking her for someone else, because she could remember a single instance in which he…

Shit. He had.

Rey bit down lightly on her lower lip. Too prideful to apologize, especially since she wasn’t even that sorry to begin with. “Can’t see why you’d want to talk to me anyways, but whatever.”

Finally she found reprieve from his gaze now that he was looking down at his hands, twiddling his thumbs.

“Dunno, just thought you were – cool, I guess.”

Cool? She was cool? Not only was that description unsuccessful in making any positive impact on her, but he didn’t even sound convincing when he’d said it. She could recall a time when she was described as beautiful and intelligent. These days, she was should’ve felt lucky to get a compliment at all.

No, Rey, you deserve so much better than that.

“Thaaanks.” She drawled sarcastically, saving her entry. She wasn’t getting anywhere, so why even try? After a moment, she pushed her laptop shut.

Kylo flinched, and what an amusing sight that was. A big guy like him caught off guard by a ‘soft’ snap. Rey couldn’t help but to let out a soft giggle, but she quickly bit her lip again in her hopes to suppress it.

Enticed by the Sound of her laughter, Kylo’s lips formed a lopsided little smile.

“Actually, I kinda wanted to ask you a question—”

Rey quirked an eyebrow. If he wanted her to relay a message to Phasma for him, she’d rather not play that game. She’d been asked out in high school through similar means, and she had always found it endearing that a boy was too shy to speak to her in person. Not so cute anymore now that she was simply the chubby, nerdy messenger girl.

“I’m pretty sure Phasma isn’t seeing anyone.” Rey shrugged her shoulders, ignoring this weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was her turn to be caught off guard by the sound of his laughter.

“Uh, yeah, I know that, and I really couldn’t give a fuck. Funny you should say that though. Before you rudely interrupted me I was going to ask you if you were seeing anyone.”

Rey froze. Now she understood. He got a kick out of being a jerk, didn’t he? Was she seeing anyone? Please. She’d like to be. To have someone, anyone, show her interest to restore a bit of self-confidence she’d lost over the last couple of years.

“That’s none of your business, dude.” Rey felt her cheeks growing hot with embarrassment and a little bit of anger. What was more pathetic? Avoiding the question or just telling the truth?

“Maybe not, but I kinda need to know…”

Need to know? For what reason? She offered him a skeptical once over. She didn’t like how he felt entitled to that kind of personal information.

“Oh yeah? Why do you need to know my business, hm?”

“Do you? Have a boyfriend?”

They stared at one another. Kylo seemed no more willing to tell her why he wanted to know so badly than Rey was willing to admit that she didn’t have a boyfriend, and probably wouldn’t in the foreseeable future.


	2. Who else sucks at titles?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No trigger warnings. 
> 
> There's an interruption. Rey, Rose and Finn go get some noms. It's short, just read it.

Rey had trained her focus, pondering for a reason, any reason at all that would explain Kylo's sudden interest in her dating life. She silently considered many options, one being that Phasma's growing animosity towards her had convinced Kylo into setting Rey up with some friend of his just to get her out of their dorm more often. Not like Phasma stuck around much to begin with, but perhaps that was because of Rey's near-constant presence.

Despite thinking that it was a reasonable theory, Rey decided not to get too attached, just as she had with the others. No, Kylo's intentions were likely to be more sinister than merely helping a friend out while simultaneously throwing another under the bus. Sure, she had her set backs, never quite felt comfortable in her own skin, but she wasn't pathetic. She wasn't going to resort to being set up with guys that had no interest in her.

Lost in deep thought, Rey was nearly startled right out of bed when she heard yet another bang at the door. Kylo appeared unbothered by the sound, his head remained locked in its curious cant, eyes only straying from their target when the door was opened and Phasma stormed in with sour look on her face.

"Oh." The tall blonde paused, eyes darting between Rey and Kylo who had clearly been engaged in "conversation" before she walked in. Rey could tell that she was confused, but before she could speak up in her own defense, that she didn't want Kylo there in the first place, Phasma continued.

"Good, you're here." She approached the male, now pretending as though Rey wasn't there at all, placing herself right between the two of them, her hands on her hips to impede Rey from peeking around her if she even had the desire to try. "Did you hear they cancelled practice? You'd think they'd actually tell the team first---"

Rey made her best effort to tune out their conversation, deciding that Kylo coming over to speak with her probably wasn’t that big of a deal. Now that Phasma was there, there was no chance in hell that she’d be able to his catch his attention again. Not that she wanted it... No, she definitely didn’t want it... Forcing his question and gaze into the back of his mind, Rey opened up her laptop once more. All he had done was distract her from what she was supposed to be doing. There was nothing more she hated than getting sidetracked, and yet she found herself more frustrated with Phasma than with Kylo...

“---Anyways, let’s go get something to eat.” Phasma suggested, not waiting for a response from Kylo before she headed for the door. He stood to follow her with a stretch of his arms, but stopped to look at Rey, who was staring down at her laptop, having no intention of lifting her head again until they were out of sight. “Do you want to go?” He asked, which earned a snort from Phasma, which he effortlessly ignored.

“Stop joking around, man, I’m about to starve.” Phasma said, pulling the door open while Kylo continued to hover by the edge of Rey’s bed. His friend may have found the proposal to be disingenuous, but with a regretful glance in his direction, Rey could see something there. That same hopeful look that had caught her off-guard when he asked her about her current attachments. 

“I’m good, thanks.” She rolled her eyes, her fingers hitting the keys of her laptop rather hard. It wasn’t even a sentence she was forming, just a string of random letters that made no sense at all. 

“Whatever...” Kylo murmured, turning to accompany Phasma without another word. Rey sat there in quietness, her laptop once again pushed to the side, brow furrowed in uncertainty. He sounded so frustrated with her decision to hang back, but how could he expect her to want to go out with either of them? Even if she wasn’t so sure about how Kylo felt about her now, one thing was for sure, Phasma hated her guts. The feeling was mutual.

Rey was wasting way too much energy trying to make sense of it all. She needed to get out for a little while, maybe grab something to eat with Finn, Rose and Poe, people who actually enjoyed her friendship and company. She snatched up her cellphone and un-muted their group chat to send them a quick text.

[Rey]: Anyone wanna go grab a bite off camp?

[Rose]: Totally down

[Finn]: Sure

[Poe]: Sorry guys, I’m a little busy rn. Have fun!

\---

“Ughhh, I ate too much. Someone... Please... Carry me back to my room.” Finn exaggerated, flinging one arm over Rey’s shoulders and the other over Rose’s, forcing them to divide and carry his weight while his feet dragged. There was a series of groans and giggles as the two young women tried to wrestle Finn off. Once they did, Finn’s supposed ailing seemed to disappear altogether. 

Rey relished these moments with her friends. Being with them was the only time she didn’t feel the need to isolate herself and hide. The only time she wasn’t preoccupied with her insecurities, her school work, and more recently, Kylo Ren. She would never admit that he had rattled her, but thankfully he was the last thing on her mind as she, Finn and Rose chatted and joked while they moved along the path, side by side by side.

Finn, being the gentleman that he was, escorted Rey and Rose to the girl’s dormitories, leaving Rey with a kiss on the cheek and Rose with the very the same, leaving the two alone. Just being back and knowing that she would soon have to face Phasma again gave her pause. It was getting late. People were either out having a good time or locked up in their rooms studying. It was what she should be doing, but instead she asked Rose to keep her company for just a little bit longer so that she could evade her obnoxious roommate. Rose sympathized.

Rey wasn’t afraid of Phasma, she simply wasn’t in the mood, and that was the truth. Much to her disapproval, along with Phasma, thoughts of the raven haired junior flooded her mind. What would have happened if she had taken him up on his offer to go out to eat with them? Or if she had told him that she wasn’t seeing anyone? It was a recipe for disaster, and at least she could find some comfort in knowing she'd ultimately made the right decision. Steer clear of these guys and you'll be just fine, Rey.

Relaxing on one of the couches in the dorm lounge and listening to Rose, who was completely unaware how obvious she sounded, go on and on about Finn, Rey’s thoughts would occasionally drift. Even if she was typically very interested in what Rose had to say when it came to her best friend, she simply couldn’t focus on anything other than...

In the nearby entrance to the stairwell, two leggy figures appeared. Kylo stood with his hands in his pockets while Phasma leaned against the railing, trying to put herself at his height. Rey sat up a little straighter, as if doing so would allow her to hear what was being said. It was no use, really, but she could at the very least see what was happening.

Why was she even curious about the state of Kylo and Phasma’s relationship anyways?

Phasma bit down on her lower lip and leaned in a little closer to him. A gesture that wasn’t too conspicuous, but Rey got the hint that she wanted him to reciprocate and close the gap between them. He didn’t. He gave the blonde a closed-fist nudge to her shoulder before pivoting on his heels to leave. 

Kylo didn’t look pleased at all, his head down as he reached the exit. Rey found herself hoping for him to look up, but alas, the glass door swung shut and locked itself behind him, leaving her feeling all too ashamed for even wanting him to look up and see her. Even more embarrassed by the fact that his rejection of Phasma left her smirking to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys want a series, you're just going to have to deal with the slow burn. Sorry this was a little /meh/, I have to get myself reacquainted with the idea of Reylo in a university setting. The next couple of chapters will be a little longer.


	3. Box and Key

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't know, Rey and Kylo bickering over nothing. As per usual.

Rey woke with a start when she heard the door slam shut. Phasma had been in a particularly bad mood when Rey returned to their dorm room the night before, and apparently her tenor hadn’t gotten any better after a good night’s sleep. Rolling onto her side with a groan, Rey pulled the covers over her head, blindly reaching towards the nightstand to retrieve her cellphone.

The light was blinding, though a little less intense than what was currently streaming through the windows with a minor setting modification. It didn’t take long for her eyes to adjust, and once they had, she began to check all of her notifications. She hadn’t expected anything special, just a few group texts and likes on her latest Facebook status, but she noticed a curious little friend request at the top right corner of the screen.

Rey always felt a little bubble of anxiety brewing deep within her whenever she received one. Someone she’d went to high school with or met on vacation somewhere. Either way, who she was then was a far cry from who she was now, both physically and mentally. If not for being tagged in various group photos by Finn, Poe and Rose, Rey would have happily kept up this illusion with outdated profile photos that she was the same fit, spunky girl everyone had known before she’d taken a summer off and headed for university.

In spite of this, she tapped the notification without much delay, as her curiosity far outweighed her insecurities. The name she saw, however, caused her to sit up straight in her bed and rub the sleep from her eyes to make perfectly sure that she’d comprehended the letters correctly. Her stomach was instantly in knots, but she couldn’t tell whether it was forced disgust that made her feel this way or something else entirely.

No matter what Kylo’s motivation was, it had been quite some time since a guy had been so tenacious in their pursuit to speak with her. To Ren’s merit, what set him apart from the others was that she had at least been somewhat intrigued by him, but for the first time Rey was feeling more disconcerted by the idea of Kylo seeing what she used to look like. Up until now, he had nothing to compare her to but the “hotties” on campus. The only thing worse than that was being compared to herself. Her former self.

She’d made the promise that she’d give herself more credit, that she could get used to the way things were now with a bit of time and TLC, but somehow or another, Kylo had reawakened these feelings of self-doubt. Damn him for having that much of an effect on her when she hardly knew him at all. Maybe that was the kicker. If she could get to know him, just a little bit, her growing fixation on him would come to an end.

It was on that note that she held her breath and accepted the request.

–

Rey made her way across campus with a cardboard box filled with some of the components to her latest engineering project in her hands. The goal was to make a miniature mechanism that, provided it made the cut, would be turned into a much larger version of itself later on. It was mostly an in-class project, but because of her excitement and desire to get ahead, she’d decided to take some parts back to her dorm room to tinker around with and optimize what she’d already managed to accomplish. She even found herself grinning at the thought as she strolled along. If there was one thing she maintained a passion for, that was using her hands.

“What are you smiling about?"

Rey looked up to find that Kylo had appeared out of nowhere with a rather arrogant smirk shaping his full lips. She didn’t know where he’d come from, but she grimaced at having her happy thoughts disrupted. With a sigh, she adjusted the box in her arms and did her best to focus on where she was walking and not so much on how warm she felt or the deep peppery smell that suddenly invaded her nostrils.

“Nothing to do with you, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Rey huffed, glancing out of the corner of her eye to see Kylo’s smirk waver just a little bit. “S'none of your business, either.” She felt better with every small jab that she took. Being a generally pleasant person, she didn't know what it was about him that got her so worked up. But if she pretended well enough that she had no interest in him at all, then perhaps she’d be able to make herself believe that it was true.

“You didn’t get my message?” He asked, sounding anxious with a pair of wide eyes to match.

“Must have been one hell of a message if you think it would have any affect on me whatsoever, but no, I haven’t.” She knew she had a message awaiting her, but she had ignored it. She noticed that when her mind was on her school work, she found herself a little less intrigued by whatever it was that Kylo Ren had to say.

“Oh—” He bit down on his lower lip, running his fingers through his hair, deliberating over what to say next. Rey assumed that whatever was in that message, he wasn’t feeling confident enough to say out loud. After a moment, he was lending his hands towards the box being cradled in her arms. “Here, let me carry that.” A fairly smooth transition, but Rey wasn’t in need of his help.

“No thanks.” She murmured. Sure, it was a little heavy, but it was nothing that she couldn’t handle. She wasn’t helpless, after all, and she wouldn’t have him thinking that she was. “If you want to make yourself useful, you can open the door.” She gestured her head towards the girl’s dormitories. She probably didn’t even need him to do that much, but the "kicked puppy" look on his face prompted her to show just a little bit of compassion. He was trying so hard to get her attention these days, that much couldn’t be ignored. It was though the harder that Rey tried to keep the young man at arms length, the more difficult he wanted to make the task.

There was no delay in her peer's step as he jogged ahead and reached the door, pulling on the handles prematurely. Had his ears been exposed, she would’ve noted that they’d turned a hot shade of pink, and she would've found it cute. “Um, you’re going to need my key…” Rey said, amused by the error and annoyed that she now had to pick up the pace to close the distance between them.

Once she reached his side, Kylo looked as though he had easily regained his composure, his broad shoulders squared back, but that cocky smirk was not present. "Where is it?" He asked, taking the opportunity to look her over, as if he'd find it taped to her exterior. His sweeping gaze took its precious time too, or maybe Rey was simply imagining it all. Like she wanted to imagine that he actually liked what he saw. Bulges and curves that weren't necessarily in the "right places".

"It's in my pocket." Rey sighed, her flared hips swinging in his direction. Before she could even consider the fact that he would have to dig for it himself, his fingers delved beneath the tight fabric of her jeans, and she was suddenly aware of just how tight they actually were. 

Kylo bit down on his lower lip(a habit of his) as he invaded her pocket, the prodding producing that same warm feeling deep within her stomach, but she dared not let it manifest on her cheeks. Once he produced the key, Rey sighed in relief and took another step to the side, allowing him to unlock and push the door open. She turned once inside, expecting to take the key back and make her way up to her room /alone/, so Rey offered her hip once more, but Kylo, simper making a sudden reappearance, inspected the key with interest instead.

"Okay, it's time to give it back now." Rey readjusted the box in her arms for the hundredth time; the longer she held on to it, the heavier it had gotten. She lifted a leg to balance it upon her thickened thigh, wavering just a little but maintained her balance quite well. She reached out with a now free hand, trying to snatch the key from Ren's fingertips, only to be disappointed when he held it high above his head.

"Would you rather talk here or have me escort you to your room?" Kylo questioned, his tongue creating a flirtatious knot in the center of his right cheek. She could understand why the ladies liked him so much; from a distance.

"For a second there, I thought you were just being a nice. Helping me out. But no, it was all some stupid tactic." Rey rolled her eyes and reached as high as she could, only then losing balance and nearly sending the box toppling out of her grasp and onto the floor. 

Kylo was pretty damn quick, keeping the box from slipping and allowing her to secure her hold once more. If she could deny her body the desire to blush before, she couldn't now. "I wouldn't have to resort to 'tactics'," His hands lifted, fingers forming obnoxious air quotes around her accusation, "if you'd stop being so stubborn. I don't like chasing you around, you know?" Despite sounding more or less fed up with Rey's attitude towards him, he still did not offer her the key back. 

"You think I want you chasing me around?" Rey hissed through gritted teeth, her renewed hold on the box tensing at the outer corners, "How many times is it going to take you to get the hint, Ren?" As conflicted as Kylo had her feeling on the inside, she wouldn't be surprised to find that her manner of speaking with him was just as confusing, leaving the poor young man disoriented every time he tried to engage with her. Only fair, she thought. If she had to suffer through this, whatever it was, then so did he. Until he would eventually give up and leave her alone, anyways.

Kylo's chest heaved as he stood their in silence, his knuckles whitening as his fingers curled around the key wedged inside of his palm. She was sure he was debating over whether or not she was worth all of the trouble, and she was trying her damnedest not to be. Slowly, that same hand made its way behind his back; the decision had been made, whether Rey liked it or not.

It was his persistence she liked. Only his persistence. It reminded her of a time in which she was outgoing and so much more confident in her own skin. For a single moment, she felt as though she was back to her old, slimmer and desirable self again. But only for a moment, and one that went by all too quickly. Rey's lifted her chin slightly and sighed. "Why?"

Kylo's demeanor softened at how one word could possess so much vulnerability. Had she heard it herself, she would've taken off in the opposite direction, key all but forgotten. 

"You really didn't read my message..." He gently inquired.

No, she hadn't read his message, but now she wished that she'd had paid a little less attention in class and a little more to the occasional muffled vibration in one of the pockets of her bag. "Why can't you just tell me now? I don't see the big deal..." Her tongue darted across her lower lip when she watched him nibbling on his own. She tried to draw her attention away from them again, those lips, looking away only long enough to set her expression to 'default' and look him directly in the eye.

"Because you make me nervous." Kylo murmured.

Rey quirked an eyebrow, impressed by the admission when she would've been unable to admit the same to him. If it were true, then all of this time he was pretty damn good at hiding it. Then again, only over the last few days had she even take notice of his consistent presence. 

"Phasma likes you, you know? She wouldn't like it if we started hanging out..." In fact, the blonde would already glare her to death just for speaking a handful of words to him when he stopped by to wait for her. She couldn't imagine what the reaction would be if they actually started to get chummy with one another. Not that Rey thought that would happen. He was cute and all and had a habit of making her organs flutter, but at the end of the day, she still had better things to do.

"Since when do you care about anyone thinks?" Kylo snorted, seeming genuinely amused and unbothered by the revelation that his friend had certain feelings for him. Of course it wouldn't have been news to him if she'd tried to kiss him like she had on the stairwell, but still... Rey thought he'd at least care a little bit about Phasma's emotional well being. They'd been close since she'd known them, not easily separated. The way she was with Finn.

"Since she's my roommate and she could easily make my life a living hell." Rey exhaled, adjusting the box once more, only to have it removed from her arms completely. She was relieved of the weight, but now had nothing to shield her shapely body with. Her numbed arms quickly folded in front of her, lips pursed. She really wished she hadn't wasted that last breath, or else she would be holding it right about now.

Kylo smirked, pleased that she managed not to fight him this time. The container appeared as though it weighed no heavier than a feather tucked beneath one of his arms. She noted that his bicep was flexing; for show or because he was actually using it, it still made her feel a little bit better. After all, she'd carried it half-way across campus by herself. That had to count for good exercise. He handed her the key back now, since he'd acquired something else of hers that would aid in keeping her considering him. "I'll talk to her."

His proposition encouraged a genuine laugh to fall from Rey's lips, her head shaking as her hand closed around the now warm piece of shaped nickel silver. "You'd only make it worse for the both of us." At least if he was the one to suggest that Phasma cool it with causing Rey problems, /he/ would be the one to get the brunt of her frustration.

It could've been pride in having successfully made her laugh, or merely the sound of her soft giggling that made Kylo's grin in a way that she'd never seen before. Cheeks defined and teeth on display. It was unappealing at first, off-kilter and strange, but the longer she looked at him, the more charming it became. The goofiness that didn’t quite suit the way he carried himself on campus. The image plagued her even after the smile faded just enough for him to speak.

"Do you want this back, or can I at least help you carry it do your room?" Kylo asked, confident and hopeful all at once. Knowing at this point that she would have to lug that thing up a flight of stairs, and the fact that he made it look all too easily, she finally nodded her head to accept his offer. 

As unfriendly as she had been with him, she felt she had no right to even ask for his help, but he didn't seem so off-put by it. If anything, he appeared to have a renewed purpose, waiting patiently for her to lead the way with a triumphant snicker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I forfeit a good update for a longer than usual update? Yes.  
> I swear on everything, they will have an actual conversation in the next chapter.  
> Things will start picking up the pace.


	4. Update...

So, I highly doubt that amidst the holiday traveling and TLJ hype that I'll get around to finishing up a proper update for this fic...

That being said, whether or not I will continue it is pretty much up in the air.  
Who knows where my head space will be after the movie comes out?  
To those that were interested in this story, I apologize.   
Hopefully at some point in the future I'll decide to finish this...


	5. Huff Huff, Glare Glare.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey's protective BFF and needy/jealous sorta-BF glare at one another for a few seconds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry that this update took me so damn long and is unimpressively short?  
> Please stick with me, loves. I'm doing the best that I can!

"Since when do you care about basketball?" Finn asked as he stacked a series of worn out textbooks in his arms, proceeding to shove them into his bag one by one. "The last time I asked you to go to a game you said, and I quote, that you'd rather do literally anything else?"

Rey ignored his inquiry, holding the lips of his backpack open wide, peering inside as he pushed away crumbled up pieces of paper and a pair of gym shorts. "Are you ever going to clean this thing out? I bet there is crap from last semester still in here...."

"I don't know," Finn shrugged, the tip of his tongue touching the corner of his mouth in concentration, desperate to make everything fit, "when are we going to talk about /it/."

Rey made her best effort to play dumb, at least until she realized that her best friend wasn't going to fall for the ruse. An innocent bat of her eyelashes that had worked when they first met, but not so much anymore. 

"Drop it. I told you that there's nothing going on." 

"One minute you hate Kylo, the next you're spending all of your free time with him, and to top all of that off, you agreed to go with him to a basketball game of all things. Sure, there's definitely nothing going on." Finn grunted, having successfully forced the last book into his bag.

Rey zippered the sack shut and then proceeded to shove it into his arms, clearly agitated by his persistence. If she said that it wasn't a big deal, then he should have taken her word for it rather than constantly questioning her judgement. Even if he was only looking out for her. Kylo had a reputation, yes, but there was only so many times she could be reminded of that before losing her mind.

"I've already told you, I feel bad about causing so much drama between Kylo and Phasma. He's lonely. And frankly? So am I." Rey hoisted her own bag over her shoulder and headed straight for the library's exit, Finn in tow. 

"Ever since you started dating Rose I've been seeing you less and less." Rey complained, slowing her pace to allow Finn to match her own. "There's nothing wrong with wanting someone to talk to when you're busy snogging your girlfriend." Even if that someone was Kylo Ren. The campus brooder.

It was the least she could do for Kylo, anyways. She couldn't have predicted that Phasma would have reacted so dramatically to walking into their dorm room to find the two of them sitting cross-legged on the floor, so close that their knees almost touched as he helped her assemble her project(a short while after he had carried the heavy box all the way upstairs for her). She also couldn't mend the rift without confronting her roommate, which she would happily avoid as long as she could.

In spite of all of that and her longing to spend some one on one time with Finn, she did not resent Rose in the slightest. She knew how happy they made one another, and who could really blame them for occupying one another's time when the relationship was still so new? She probably would've done the same exact thing if she'd found someone worth taking a romantic interest in.

"You can always just hang out with us..." Finn added guilty, "You can skip out on the basketball game and go see a movie with us tonight?"

"And third-wheel it? Thanks, but no thanks."

"I can call up Poe and see if he'd like to go? Then you wouldn't have to--"

"Poe is /your/ friend." Rey reminded him with a soft sigh, shaking her head. "I don't feel like having everything 'mansplained' to me. And besides, I've already promised Kylo I would go with him. If I don't, he'll sulk for a week."

Though she wouldn't admit it to anyone, let alone herself, the idea of being avoided by Kylo for an entire week did not sit well with her. Whether that was because it meant she really would be left to her own devices or because she was actually starting to enjoy his company, she didn't know.

The thought that she could relate to Kylo Ren of all people was both surprising and scary, but only because it meant that she would have to admit that she had judged him unfairly. The way people often judged her purely based on her looks and not her compassionate deposition and intellect. 

Sure, Kylo could be arrogant sometimes and answer too many questions with more questions, but beneath his hard exterior and uneasy temper, his reputation among their peers hadn't done him any favors as far as making friends went. He could actually be fairly /accommodating/ at times...

Nevertheless, Rey was determined to shake him from her mind, and she did so by locking her arm with Finn's and resting her cheek against his shoulder in a quiet apology as they moved along the sidewalk. There was no sense in wasting what time she /did/ get to spend with him being irritated.

"Saturday night, okay? I'll keep my schedule clear if you guys can keep yours clear. Deal?"

Finn must have come to the same conclusion, that the discussion would be better postponed and tightened his arm around Rey's in agreement. "Deal."

\----------------------------------

Their route back to Rey's dorm room had taken a more pleasant shift as Rey's temper softened and Finn talked about /other things/, like Spring break and how Summer vacation was right around the corner. They made plans in which they knew they had no hopes of fulfilling, like going on month long road trips and having the grandest adventure that their young adult minds could fathom. 

Regardless of their separate plans, the friends decided that the few hours that they had to waste should be spent sprawling out on her twin-sized bed, arguing over whether they should binge watch Shameless or Jessica Jones.

A slight delay in that plan that Rey couldn't have accounted for was waiting for her upon finally reaching her hallway. He sat with his back pressed against her door, one long leg rudely extended towards the opposite while, the other knee raised towards himself as he thumbed through some random pamphlet he'd found by the building's entrance.

As though he'd sensed her presences, Kylo raised his head, his lips having already formed a smile as he looked at her. The smile faded once he was able to note who was standing next to her.

Rey's stomach dropped a couple of inches. She'd only just convinced Finn to lay off of her for the time she'd spent with Kylo, that it didn't mean anything, and yet here he was, waiting around for her like like some patient pet.

"What are you doing here?" Rey asked, doing her best to sound impassive, even as Kylo stood, towering over the two of them, sparing unwelcoming glances towards Finn who countered with an annoyed glare.

"The game, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember, and that doesn't start for another three hours -- move please." Rey sighed, placing her hand upon his chest and nudged him aside.

Kylo relented, but seemed desperate to remain in her line of vision as she fished out her key to unlock her door. "Well, yeah, but I thought I'd stop by early so that we could hang out a little..." 

"That's nice, but as you can see, I already have company." Rey kept her voice low, trying not to allow her anxieties to get the better of her. She grabbed Finn by the elbow and forced him inside.

Kylo's eyes found Finn one last time, nostrils flaring resentfully before he disappeared somewhere beyond the door. Rey's curvaceous frame now blocking the way, ensuring that he didn't intrude.

"Do you want me to tell him to leave? I'll tell him to leave, no problem." Finn started, but Rey hushed him, turning her attentions back to Kylo, her expression caught somewhere between annoyance and guilt, though she hardly owed him the latter.

Clearly Finn wasn't the only one with a problem with who Rey chose to associate with, but she wouldn't dare explain herself to either of them. So why did she feel the need to justify spending time with one instead of the other? Only when they were all together did it ever feel like an ACTUAL problem.

"Look," She began in a hushed toned, as if she were unaware of Finn potentially eavesdropping on the conversation, "I didn't change my mind or anything. I'll meet you there, just like I promised, but you have to go."

Rey's hand was tempted to find his chest once more, but she refrained, preferring instead to shut the door in Kylo's face and lock it behind her before he had the opportunity to protest.

Sure, she may have felt bad for a couple of minutes, but she soon enough found the relief from said guilt in the midst of her mini Netflix binge with Finn, who in spite of his curiosity and desire to discuss what had just transpired, allowed Rey to rest her head against his shoulder without another word said on the subject.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: chubbyreylo.tumblr.com


	6. Tropey badness.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'll let the chapter's title speak for itself.

When Rey saw Kylo, he was struggling to juggle an order of nachos, a hot dog and two large cups of an unknown beverage. And of course, a wallet wedged helplessly between his teeth. She giggled to herself.

 

His eyes widened at her approach, murmuring a plea for help.

 

He huffed in relief as Rey plucked the wallet out of his mouth and graciously stuffed it into his pocket, accepting both of the sodas.

 

"Do you really need ALL of this?" She teased, miraculously finding it easy to be in his company again in spite of their earlier run-in. Finn didn't take the encounter too personally, as he expected such behavior from Kylo -- and in a way, so did she.

 

"No, I got you these nachos and a drink. I remember you mentioning how much you like them."

 

Rey's amused grin faltered somewhat. The gesture was kind, and the fact that he had remembered such an insignificant detail was even sweeter, but she couldn't help but to begrudge him for it. "Thanks, but I'm really not that hungry."

 

That was a lie. Rey hadn't eaten anything since lunch and she was on the brink of starving.

 

"Not _that_ hungry means you're at least a little hungry." Kylo insisted, "Besides, you don't eat at games because you're hungry, you eat because -- it's just what you do."

 

_YOU can afford to eat just because that's what you do, but I can't._ Rey wanted to say, but she refused to fish for compliments or pity. Instead, she sighed and traded the nachos for one of the drinks and gestured her head towards the stadium. "Let's just go find our seats."

 

As they weaved through and sidled by fellow spectators, Rey's mind drifted back to her conversation with Finn three hours prior. There was a reason she preferred not to attend sporting events these days, and it had NOTHING to do with being disinterested sports.

 

It was how out of place she felt. Like everyone was looking at her, judging her whenever she had to inhale deeply and squeeze by someone, or how her wide hips and thick arms might cause the person sitting next to her discomfort by needing to accommodate her.

 

In reality, no one was looking at her or judging her and her size was no more offensive than her calm temperament. No matter how much she tried to reminder herself of this, however, she found her insecurities too ingrained to disregard completely.

 

The only time in which such thoughts seemed to fade entirely was when she was alone with Kylo...

 

Upon finding their seats, Rey noticed that he was already wiping his mouth with a napkin and shoving his hot dog wrapper in the nearest cup holder for safe keeping. "What in the hell?" She placed her untouched nachos in her lap. Kylo merely shrugged in response. Like it was no big deal that he had at some point swallowed his whole meal in one bite.

 

"You can have these if you want." She leaned in close to his shoulder to ensure that he could hear her over the crowd's excitement.

 

Kylo did the same, bringing his face a smidgen closer than Rey had been expecting. "No, I bought them for you. If you keep making a big deal about it, I'll have no choice but to be offended."

 

Rey's round cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. Was it the proximity or the comment? Whatever it was, it encouraged her to shove one of the cheesiest, soggiest tortilla chips into her mouth. She chewed, swallowed and then showed him her tongue. "Happy, nag?"

 

"Very." Kylo smirked, then stealing one of her nachos before turning his attention to the players practicing on the court.

 

Rey took the opportunity to admire his profile. The upper half of his face was strong, almost **too** strong, but it evened out at the lower half, where his soft lips and gentle jaw. Somehow all of that suited what she had come to learn about his personality.

 

Catching her friend looking at her out of the corner of his eye, she quickly redirected her gaze, shoving another nacho in her mouth(now that she'd gotten a taste for them). She wouldn't be able to see it with her eyes downcast, but Kylo had the smuggest look on his face.

 

* * *

 

Rey had forgotten how much she enjoyed a good game. She and Kylo had found themselves on their feet multiple times during first half, joining in the celebration and jeering of the stadium. At some point, she had gotten so excited that she nearly knocked Kylo over with an aggressive bump of her hip.

 

Once half-time rolled around, a number people were leaving their seat to refill their drinks and get some last minute snacks, but Rey and Kylo remained. Just as he leaned in to speak softly in Rey's ear, they each felt a pat on their shoulders from someone behind.

 

" _Look! Look!_ "

 

Their attention was redirected to the jumbotron, their images plastered on its screen, a heart surrounding them and the words 'kiss cam' in bold type stretched out beneath.

 

Rey's features paled, mortified to have everyone staring at her. Kylo, on the other hand, looked equally as nervous.

 

She was oblivious to how eager he was for the opportunity.

 

Kylo leaned in. Rey tensed.

 

"Don't you _dare_..." She hissed, finding just enough courage to remove herself from her seat and sidle down a now empty row and flee for the nearest exit. She didn't stop to consider the embarrassment Kylo must have felt, rejected and belittled by the laughter of the crowd.

 

Rey pushed her way outside and kept walking, kicking herself for such an overreaction, but pressure made her flighty, and she had just saved Kylo the humiliation of having to kiss her in front of everyone. In some way, that made her feel even sicker to her stomach.

 

Even if she had wanted to kiss Kylo --- she wouldn't have wanted it to happen under the scrutiny of their peers. And maybe, if she was really honest with herself, she was already having a difficult enough time convincing everyone that they were just friends and couldn't bear the notion of having to explain the gesture away.

 

Having walked away should make her stance quite clear to everyone else...

 

"What the fuck, Rey?" Kylo growled, storming up behind her, fingers digging into the meat of her wrist to pull her to a halt. "If you didn't want me to -- kiss you, all you had to do was say no. It wouldn't have been that big of a deal!"

 

She could tell that he was angry, and maybe he had a reason to be, but that didn't stop her from jerking her wrist out of his hand. "Everyone was looking at us!"

 

"So what?"

 

Her arms folded over her chest in resumed self-consciousness. Rey didn't have an answer for that, at least not direct one. "---And we're just friends."

 

There was a long pause in which Kylo quirked an eyebrow and looked down at her like she'd just uttered something suspicious. "Are we?"

 

"Yes, we are."

 

"Bullshit." Kylo countered dryly.

 

"Excuse me?" Rey's gaze widened, as if she couldn't take in enough of his colorful expression. She could feel her pulse even in the soles of her feet.

 

"I know you better than you think I do, and you're a terrible liar."

 

"You don't know anything about me, actually." She declared with that prickly tone she favored whenever she was put on the defense.

 

"I know that you don't like yourself and that you care too much about what other people think. Including your friends. --- And before you even try to deny it, you won't admit that there's something going on between us because you know they wouldn't approve."

 

Rey felt the accusation pinch at her gut, remorselessly stirring its contents about. She'd fallen for the bait before she could even stop herself. "Like **your** friends approve..."

 

"They don't, but I don't care. And that's the difference between you and me."

 

Rey's features flushed with vexation. In what universe did Kylo Ren have the right to act like a saint completely absolved of the role he played in their complicated affair? "The difference between you and me? Really? Because you make it _so_ easy! Maybe I do care about what my friends think, but I know it's because they want what's best from me. That doesn't include hanging around with some jerk who can't even pretend to be decent around anyone else!"

 

It was Kylo's turn to get defensive. Before her very eyes that gentle jaw hardened and flexed under the pressure of his teeth grinding together. "I'm **not** decent." He murmured through them.

 

"So you've been faking it with me this whole time, then?"

"No..."

"Then tell me what the hell it is you're doing, because I always feel like I'm looking at two different people when I'm around you! Tell me you're not a bloody jerk so I don't have to be so damn confused anymore!"

Kylo appeared as though he was about to say something profound by the way his brow weighed upon his gaze and his expression paled, but words never came. Before Rey knew it, she was staring at the back of his head as he walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've actually had this written for awhile now, unsure of what to do with it, but since I'd rather not start over with this chapter(because Lord knows I'd likely never finish it), I thought I might as well let everyone that's still feeling this fic read it.


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